Orlando Council Postpones Vote On In-line Skating

Skaters And City Officials Will Meet Today To Work On A Compromise.

In-line skaters won a reprieve Monday when the Orlando City Council delayed voting on a proposed law that would have banned the sport from more than 85 parks.

Skaters and city officials, Mayor Glenda Hood said, will meet today to work on a compromise where some parks would be open a limited amount of time for what's known as Rollerblading.

''Nobody is opposed to in-line skating, believe me,'' Hood said.

City officials had been moving toward outlawing the activity in 2,422 acres of parks, because they feared skaters moving fast on their single row of wheels could accidentally hit people ambling in places such as downtown's Lake Eola Park.

Skaters, however, complained to City Hall, leading to Monday's development.

''The people have spoken,'' said Steve Heller, a 29-year-old in-line skater. ''Obviously, they are listening to us.''

Heller contends that Orlando's sidewalks and streets are too cramped with people and cars for in-line skaters. Parks, he said, represent one of the area's few safe recreational havens. He especially likes to skate at Lake Eola and other parks near downtown.

''It's a desirable place to skate. There's things to look at. It's more fun,'' Heller said.

Along with three or four other skating enthusiasts, Heller will meet with top city parks officials Herb Washington and Denny Scott.

''I think we can be somewhat reasonable if they can,'' said Scott, adding that no specific recommendations have been made.

Skating at Lake Eola, however, does not seem too likely. Skating of any kind has been stopped there since 1988, at least partly because the park is the city's most popular, drawing more than a million visitors annually.

If the in-line skating prohibition had gone into effect, violators could have been fined up to $500 and ordered to spend as many as 60 days in jail, the same penalties now applied to killing birds and other illegal park activities.

Skateboarding and roller skates were prohibited in parks six years ago, after the City Council heard numerous complaints about the practices. In-line skating, however, was not banned, largely because it was not popular enough at the time to be considered.

Strollers told council members they were tired of dodging skateboarders, and business owners said the riders were tearing up park benches, fountain tiles and the like.

In other action Monday, the council:

Turned down the appeal of a Thornton Park teaching theater to hold more than 20 performances a year at the studio where veteran actor Buddy Ebsen learned to dance more than 60 years ago.

Some neighbors in the community east of downtown complained that the playhouse would inundate the area with traffic and strangers.

But the owners, Ken and Valerie Grant, said they had arranged for patrons to park in lots several blocks from their property at 9 S. Hyer Ave.

The Grants want to hold more than 100 shows a year, attracting crowds of no more than 49 people as a way to teach aspiring actors how to perform before strangers.

Without numerous shows, the Grants said they will lose students and teachers to other acting schools.

The Grants said they were unsure what they would do in wake of the council's rejection.

''All we want,'' Mark Grant said, ''is to be a school.''

Agreed to give $125,000 to the Orange Blossom Trail Development Board, which will use the money to put together a plan for a sporting district on 400 acres surrounding the Florida Citrus Bowl, west of downtown.

Development board officials, led by director Randall Grief, will seek another $125,000 from the Orange County Commission today.

Grief said a sports district boasting a hotel, major league baseball stadium, athletic outlet stores and a 250,000 square-foot field house would spark an economic revival along Orange Blossom Trail, once a prosperous highway but now a road better known for crime, run-down businesses and topless bars.

Council members enthusiastically support the concept, which could cost more than $300 million to complete. No funds have been set aside.

''This is quite exciting. I support it fully,'' said council member Nap Ford, whose district includes Orange Blossom Trail.